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How to manage time and attendance for remote workers

A remote workforce can offer many benefits to a business. The Office of National Statistics released data showing a rise of almost 250,000 remote workers in the UK and this is only set to increase over the next decade. Remote working is obviously beneficial for employees, but it comes with its fair share of challenges for managers; particularly with regards to Time and Attendance. It is vital to manage the Time and Attendance of these remote workers for companies of all sizes, to ensure efficient working. In the office, it’s easy to see what staff are doing. It’s not so easy when they’re out on the field or working from home. It is important for managers to monitor staff who work remotely to ensure work is being completed, schedules are adhered to and time isn’t being wasted. Luckily, we live in a time where technological advancements allow for remote working and the ability for managers to keep an eye on Time and Attendance.

These are some tools which can be useful for managing remote workers.

Time Tracking

If you employ remote workers and they are required to work within a specific time frame or a set hours, tracking systems will be beneficial. Time tracking is not just important for productivity, but also for Payroll and ensuring employees are paid correctly for their time. There are different types of time tracking software available. You may choose to implement web tracking software, where the employee can enter in their start and finish time. Alternatively, a cloud timesheet for inputting working hours and real-time data, which allows managers to approve the hours. Time trackers may also be part of a wider project management system. The successful completion of projects is usually time dependent, so this can be useful for keeping everything on schedule. With time tracking software, employees will usually just log in with their username and password and input their hours.

Mobile Time and Attendance

If you have a Time and Attendance system in place, it is a good idea to incorporate it into a mobile application. This is particularly important for managing employees who work on the road, as it’s much more convenient for them to record time on the go. Mobile Time and Attendance software can offer a ‘clock in and out’ feature and allow employees to manage holiday requests from their mobile.

GPS Tracking

GPS tracking is particularly beneficial if you are managing remote workers who are out and about most of the time. For instance, you may have construction staff on the road or HR advisers who spend their time travelling to meetings. GPS tracking is a good way for managers to know where their workers are, so you can assign them with jobs in their local area, manage productivity and it is also beneficial from a health and safety perspective. It can also be more professional if you know where your employees are when you take calls from customers.

Team relationships

It is important to carefully manage remote workers, not just in terms of their Time and Attendance, but also their wellbeing. The idea of remote working can seem alluring at first, but the glamour can soon taper when the reality sets in. There’s the danger that remote workers can end up feeling isolated and managers have a responsibility for minimising this as much as possible. There is no excuse not to ensure teams are working together, even if they do it remotely. You can keep employees connected by using software such as Skype. It is a good tool to use for holding team meetings and keeping staff engaged with the wider organisation.

Overall, employees who work remotely are happier and less likely to take time off than those who work in offices. A study by Stanford University revealed that half of remote workers feel they are more productive when they work from home, rather than in the office, where there are more distractions. Implementing Time and Attendance systems will allow you to manage your remote workers more effectively.

If you want to find the right software to suit your needs, we can help. You can contact us on 0330 726 0066 or email sales@mitrefinch.co.uk for more information.